System for parking an autonomous vehicle

Abstract

The subject disclosure relates to features that improve safety for autonomous vehicle (AV) maneuvers and in particular, that improve safety for parallel parking. A process of the disclosed technology includes steps for initiating a parking maneuver, navigating the AV into a parking location, and detecting a roadway grade with respect to a direction of the AV. In some aspects, the process can further include steps for automatically adjusting a wheel angle of the AV based on the roadway grade with respect to the direction of the AV. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for adjusting tire rotation of an autonomous vehicle (AV), the system comprising:
 one or more processors; and 
 a computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 initiate, by an AV navigation and planning system, a parking maneuver; 
 navigate, by the AV navigation and planning system, the AV into a parking location in a roadway; 
 detect a roadway grade of the roadway with respect to a direction of the AV, the roadway grade comprising a roadway incline or a roadway decline with respect to the direction of the AV; 
 determine a threshold roadway grade selected to trigger adjustment of a wheel angle of the AV, the threshold roadway grade being determined based on at least one of a map location associated with the roadway, one or more AV characteristics, and a weather condition associated with a scene that includes the roadway, the threshold roadway grade comprising a threshold incline or a threshold decline with respect to the direction of the AV; 
 determine whether the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade; and 
 automatically adjust the wheel angle of the AV based on a determination that the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the roadway grade further comprises:
 collecting environmental data using one or more AV sensors; and 
 determining the roadway grade based on the environmental data. 
 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the roadway grade further comprises:
 determine the roadway grade based on a location of the AV and a map database. 
 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein automatically adjusting the wheel angle of the AV further comprises:
 adjusting the wheel angle in a direction away from a curb that is adjacent to the AV based on the determination that the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade. 
 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein automatically adjusting the wheel angle of the AV further comprises:
 adjusting the wheel angle toward a curb that is adjacent to the AV based on the determination that the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade. 
 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to initiate the parking maneuver in response to a user request indicating that the AV should park. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to initiate the parking maneuver in response to a timeout period that is exceeded by the AV in the AV waiting to provide a user pick-up service. 
     
     
       8. A computer-implemented method comprising:
 initiating, by an AV navigation and planning system, a parking maneuver; 
 navigating, by the AV navigation and planning system, the AV into a parking location in a roadway; 
 detecting a roadway grade of the roadway with respect to a direction of the AV, the roadway grade comprising a roadway incline or a roadway decline with respect to the direction of the AV; 
 determining a threshold roadway grade selected to trigger adjustment of a wheel angle of the AV, the threshold roadway grade being determined based on at least one of a map location associated with the roadway, one or more AV characteristics, and a weather condition associated with a scene that includes the roadway, the threshold roadway grade comprising a threshold incline or a threshold decline with respect to the direction of the AV; 
 determining whether the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade; and 
 automatically adjusting a wheel angle of the AV based on a determination that the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade. 
 
     
     
       9. The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 collecting environmental data using one or more AV sensors; and 
 determining the roadway grade based on the environmental data. 
 
     
     
       10. The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 determining the roadway grade based on a location of the AV and a map database. 
 
     
     
       11. The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein automatically adjusting the wheel angle of the AV further comprises:
 adjusting the wheel angle in a direction away from a curb that is adjacent to the AV based on the determination that the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade. 
 
     
     
       12. The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein automatically adjusting the wheel angle of the AV further comprises:
 adjusting the wheel angle toward a curb that is adjacent to the AV based on the determination that the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade. 
 
     
     
       13. The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , further comprising initiating the parking maneuver in response to a user request indicating that the AV should park. 
     
     
       14. The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , further comprising initiating the parking maneuver in response to a timeout period exceeded by the AV in the AV waiting to provide a user pick-up service. 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 initiate, by an AV navigation and planning system, a parking maneuver; 
 navigate, by the AV navigation and planning system, the AV into a parking location in a roadway; 
 detect a roadway grade of the roadway with respect to a direction of the AV, the roadway grade comprising a roadway incline or a roadway decline with respect to the direction of the AV; 
 determine a threshold roadway grade selected to trigger adjustment of a wheel angle of the AV, the threshold roadway grade being determined based on at least one of a map location associated with the roadway, one or more AV characteristics, and a weather condition associated with a scene that includes the roadway, the threshold roadway grade comprising a threshold incline or a threshold decline with respect to the direction of the AV; 
 determine whether the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade; and 
 automatically adjust a wheel angle of the AV based on a determination that the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade. 
 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform:
 collect environmental data using one or more AV sensors; and 
 determine the roadway grade based on the environmental data. 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 referencing a map database to determine the roadway grade based on a location of the AV. 
 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein automatically adjusting the wheel angle of the AV further comprises:
 adjusting the wheel angle in a direction away from a curb that is adjacent to the AV based on the determination that the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade. 
 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein automatically adjusting the wheel angle of the AV further comprises:
 adjusting the wheel angle toward a curb that is adjacent to the AV based on the determination that the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade. 
 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the parking maneuver is initiated in response from a user request indicating that the AV should park.